# CVE-2019-5789: Use after free in Chrome

> A remote attacker with compromised renderer access can execute arbitrary code via a crafted HTML page due to an integer overflow leading to use-after-free in WebMIDI.

- **Severity:** High 8.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 23 May 2019
- **Updated:** 4 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2019-5789, GHSA-v5pq-9p96-j22q, UBUNTU-CVE-2019-5789

## What is CVE-2019-5789?

CVE-2019-5789 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Google Chrome, published on 23 May 2019. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

An integer overflow that leads to a use-after-free in WebMIDI in Google Chrome on Windows prior to 73.0.3683.75 allowed a remote attacker who had compromised the renderer process to execute arbitrary code via a crafted HTML page.

Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free), CWE-190 (Integer Overflow or Wraparound)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2019-5789?

It affects 3 products.


Products: Google Chrome, Opensuse Backports, Opensuse Leap.

## How do I fix CVE-2019-5789?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2019-5789 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2019-5789 exists.

Public exploit code:

- Google Chrome < M73 - MidiManagerWin Use-After-Free (exploitdb)

## Other vulnerabilities in Google Chrome

- [CVE-2022-4135](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-4135/): Google Chromium GPU Heap Buffer Overflow (critical 9.6, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2020-16017](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-16017/): Google Chrome Use-After-Free (critical 9.6, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2020-16010](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-16010/): Google Chrome for Android UI Heap Buffer Overflow (critical 9.6, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-87491](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-87491/): Google Chromium V8 Out of Bounds Write (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-85046](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-85046/): Google Chromium V8 Type Confusion (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2019-5789 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2019-5789 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Google Chrome, published on 23 May 2019. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2019-5789 exists.

Affected product: Google Chrome. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-5789/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-5789/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2019-5789
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-5789
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2019-5789

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-5789/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.